Identification & Site Information

  • Name: Saginaw Valley
  • Former Names
    • Meriden (1897)
    • Kongo (1903)
    • Overland (1917)
  • Official Numbers:
    • U.S.: 115769
    • Canadian: 134520
  • Date Built and Launched: April 9, 1881
  • Measurements:
  • Original Dimensions:
    • Length: 161 feet (49.1 metres);
    • Beam: 31.5 feet (9.6 metres);
    • Depth: 10.5 feet (3.2 metres);
    • Gross Tonnage: 720.17
  • Post-Lengthening (1888):
  • Post-Rebuild (1898):
  • Post-Rebuild (1904):
    • Length: 215 feet (65.5 metres);
    • Beam: 31 feet (9.4 metres);
    • Depth: 10.2 feet (3.1 metres);
    • Gross Tonnage: 672
  • Canadian Registration (1917):
    • Length: 215 feet (65.5 metres);
    • Beam: 31.3 feet (9.5 metres);
    • Depth: 10.4 feet (3.2 metres);
    • Gross Tonnage: 75
  • Date Lost: 1926
  • Final Disposition: Beached at Port Dalhousie, Ontario, Lake Ontario, as a Breakwater for a rifle range; later broken up.

Vessel Type

Wooden Great Lakes Package Freighter

Description

The Saginaw Valley was a wooden package freighter constructed in 1881 by F. W. Wheeler & Co. at West Bay City, Michigan. Initially measuring 161 feet (49.1 metres) in length with a beam of 31.5 feet (9.6 metres) and a depth of 10.5 feet (3.2 metres), she had a Gross Tonnage of 720.17. The vessel featured a single Deck, a coal-fired boiler, and a steeple compound engine delivering 450 indicated horsepower.

History

Upon her enrollment at Port Huron, Michigan, on June 11, 1881, the Saginaw Valley was owned by the Saginaw Transit Co. of Bay City, Michigan. She operated a weekly route transporting passengers and freight from Detroit to ports along the St. Clair River, Lake Huron, Saginaw, Bay City, and Goderich, Ontario. In 1887, the vessel was sold to William W. Tyler, Michael J. Galvin, and Angus McDougall of Buffalo, New York.

In 1888, the Saginaw Valley underwent significant modifications in Buffalo, including lengthening and the addition of a second Deck, extending her length to 226.6 feet (69.1 metres) and increasing her Gross Tonnage to 1,112.09. By 1897, ownership had transferred to Thomas M. Ryan of Buffalo. The following year, she was Rebuilt as a bulk freighter for the coal and lumber trade and renamed Meriden, with a reduced depth of 10.3 feet (3.1 metres) and a Gross Tonnage of 849.

In 1904, Henry N. Loud of Alpena, Michigan, acquired the vessel, Rebuilt her at Port Huron, and renamed her Kongo. The Rebuild adjusted her dimensions to a length of 215 feet (65.5 metres), a beam of 31 feet (9.4 metres), and a depth of 10.2 feet (3.1 metres), with a Gross Tonnage of 672. Subsequent ownership changes included Harmon H. Salmon & Co. of New York in 1912, Frank S. Sullivan of Buffalo in 1916, and Reid Wrecking Co. of Sarnia, Ontario, also in 1916. The U.S. enrollment was surrendered on February 3, 1917, and the vessel was registered in Canada under the number 134520. In 1917, R. Scott Misener and associates of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, purchased the vessel, renamed her Overland, marking the beginning of the Misener fleet.

The Overland changed hands several more times: to Harold D. Robertson and partners of Toronto in 1920, and to Harbour Brick Co. of Toronto in 1921. In the summer of 1925, while loading sand from the Niagara Bar in Lake Ontario, a crack appeared in her Hull. The machinery was removed in Toronto, and the Hull was Abandoned at Port Dalhousie, Ontario.

Final Disposition

In 1926, the Hull of the Overland was utilized as a Breakwater for a rifle range at Port Dalhousie, Ontario. The vessel was later scrapped, though she remained on the enrollment list until 1938.

Located By & Date Found

Nil

NOTMARs & Advisories

Nil

Resources & Links

Conclusion

The Saginaw Valley’s extensive service life, marked by multiple rebuilds and name changes,